A witness of the great changes which
have been wrought in California since the early mining days, when the discovery
of gold attracted to the Pacific slope men of all nationalities and positions
who sought fortunes in this section, William Henry Prouty has been numbered
among the residents of Amador County since August, 1852.This county at the time formed a part of
Calaveras County.

He is a native of Knox County, Ohio,
born on the 27th of March, 1837, and on the paternal side is of
Scotch and French ancestry, while on the maternal side he is of German
lineage.He represents the fifth
generation of the family born in America.His great-grandfather, TirusProuty, emigrated from France and located in New York,
where the grandfather and the father of our subject, the latter Anson T.
Prouty, was born and reared.For many
years Anson T. Prouty resided in the Empire state, taking a prominent part in
its public affairs, while other members of the family also aided in promoting
the substantial upbuilding of the section of the state in which they
resided.Two of his uncles participated
in the war of the Revolution; and Hugh Prouty, another uncle, served in the War
of 1812.The religious faith of the
family has been that of the Methodist Church; the business of its
representatives has been farming or a profession.

Anson T. Prouty was united in
marriage to Miss Elizabeth Helms, a native of Pennsylvania and a descendant of
an old German family that was early founded in the new world.Her father was Charles Helms.By her marriage Mrs. Prouty became the mother
of seven children, five sons and two daughters, of whom four are now
living.In 1852 the parents with their
children started on the long journey across the plains to California.For five years previously they had resided in
Iowa, where the father had located land now occupied by Newton, the county seat
of Jasper County.On the 20th
of April they left their Iowa home, crossing the river near Omaha on the 9th
of Mary.The country to the westward was
a vast open waste, traversed by the Indians.After the party had passed Fort Laramie cholera broke out among them and
many died.The Prouty family suffered
the terrible affliction of losing the husband and father, who was ill for only
one day when death claimed him.The
mother and children, however, escaped the dread disease, although there were
many new graves along their route.They
were also in constant danger from the Indians, but were not attacked.Joseph Prouty, a son of the family, now
deceased, immigrated to California the year previously.The widow and her three sons, after
witnessing the burial of husband and farther on the plains, proceeded on their
way to the Pacific slope, arriving at Volcano on the 24th of August,
1852, after a journey of four months and four days.Mrs. Prouty’s
capital amounted to a few hundred dollars.

The subject of this review, then
only fifteen years of age, began work as the driver of a mule and cart used in
hauling mining dirt.He was to receive
two dollars per day in compensation for his service.Another duty was assigned to him, that of
riding the baby in a cart, and Mr. Prouty thought it good pay for such light
work.His mother opened a bakery and he
also engaged in peddling pies and cakes to the miners; but, believing that the
mining settlement was not a good place to rear her boys, she removed to Dry
Creek, where she purchased a squatter’s claim of one hundred and sixty acres of
land.There was a little cabin on the
place and a brush fence had been built around a portion of the land.There, under the guidance of their mother,
the sons engaged in farming for ten years, until the land was taken from them
on the ground that it was a part of the Pico land grant.All of the brave pioneers who had aided in
reclaiming the wild tract for purposes of civilization were thus dispossessed
and were forced to begin life anew.Mrs.
Prouty took up other land and resided with her son, C. C. Prouty, until called
to her home beyond in 1873, when in her eightieth year.She was a brave pioneer woman, courageous and
determined to whom great credit is due for the noble way in which she met
difficulties and reared her children.Such women had marked influence in California in those early days, being
largely instrumental in awakening better manhood among the men who sought
fortune in the west.

In 1858 William H. Prouty returned
to the east, where he remained for five years, his attention being devoted to
farming interests in Iowa.It was during
that time, in the year 1859, that he was united in marriage to Miss Mary Helen
Charlesworth, a native of Maryland and a daughter of Solomon Charlesworth, who
was born in England.In Iowa their home
was blessed by the presence of two children, namely:Madora and Austin
Lee.In 1863 Mr. Prouty returned to
California, by the water route, crossing the Isthmus of Panama.He took passage on a ship loaded with
ammunition and off Cape Hatteras they encountered a severe storm, which
necessitated throwing overboard the entire cargo.In the midst of the storm the captain
attempted to put the ship about, and when in the trough of the sea two great
waves went over her and all on board felt that they were lost; but fortunately
they were not engulfed and weathered the storm.The next day, when the sailors said the storm was over, Mr. Prouty was
permitted to go on deck, but the great waves were even then running “mountain”
high.Thus twice he and his loved ones
looked death in the face, once when they were crossing the plains and once upon
the water.

In safety, however, he and his
family reached San Francisco, in September, 1863.He had lost all that he had made and again he
engaged in farming near the old home on a tract of rented land, where he
continued for eight years.He then
purchased ranch of one hundred and thirty acres in Jackson Valley, which he
still owns.He has met with well earned
success and has bought and sold several farms.He also has a nice residence in Ione.He is today the business manager of thirteen hundred acres of land and
owns a very fine prune orchard, the cultivation and shipment of that fruit
forming an important part of his work and bringing to him an excellent return.

In 1881 he was called upon to mourn
the loss of his wife, who died leaving him with six children, namely:Madora Adelaide,
now the wife of James S. Amick; Austin Lee, married; Jennie died at the age of
fourteen years; Byron Grant, married; Alice May, now the wife of E. Marchand; and Arthur Lewis and William Norris, both
married.That Mr. Prouty is a
liberal-minded man, free from personal prejudice, is indicated by the fact that
he named one of his sons Grant and the other Lee, being an admirer of both the
great generals, whose superior military ability and skill is widely
acknowledged now both in the north and the south.In 1887 he was again married, his second wife
being Miss Amanda J. Harbour, a native of Illinois.They have a son and a daughter:Hazel and Chester Harbour.The family is held in the highest regard in
the county in which they have so long resided.They attend the services and contribute to the support of both the
Methodist and Presbyterian churches.Mr.
Prouty is a valued member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, with which
he has been connected for twenty-six years.He is also a member of the Independent Order of United Workmen and of
the Chosen Friends.Several times he has
represented the Odd Fellows subordinate lodge in the grand lodge.

In politics he is a stalwart
Democrat, and was a delegate to the constitutional convention which framed the
present organic law of California.He is
a companionable, genial gentleman, having a host of friends.In his home he is an indulgent father, a kind
and devoted husband, and his genuine and manly virtues are widely
recognized.He never acts except from
honest motives; and in all his varied relations, in his business affairs and in
social life he has maintained a character and standing that have impressed all
with his sincere and manly purpose, to do by others what he would have others
do by him.